ARTIST NEWS

Joffrey Ballet Documentary On PBS Charts The Company's Unlikely Rise

The Joffrey Ballet is about as American as an institution gets. "Homeland"s Mandy Patinkin narrates its incredible success story in a new PBS documentary, showcasing its humble beginnings and its rise as a worldwide brand. (So far, it remains the only company we know of where dancers pirouette to Prince). Director Bob Hercules weaved archival footage throughout "Joffrey: Mavericks of American Dance," including black-and-white photographs of founders Robert Joffrey and Gerald Arpino, as well as early rehearsal footage of some pretty rad-looking '60s dancers, seen in the trailer above.

The movie premieres December 28 at 9 PM as part of its American Masters series and will stream on the channel's web site.